


A Map of Kalos

by SingMeloetta



Series: Kalos Adventures [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Gen, Kalos-chihou | Kalos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-03 08:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 19,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11528928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingMeloetta/pseuds/SingMeloetta
Summary: Memories of the stops made along a Kalosian journey.Canon (X).





	1. Vaniville Town

The morning was so bright and full of life here in Kalos; That was the first thing I had noticed upon my arrival to this foreign region. Even while getting dressed, my eyes couldn’t help but catch the light all around me.

 

“Morning, Madison! You sure slept well! Are you all rested up from your big move yesterday?” I nodded as she looked up at the clock. "It's about time you got going! Why don't you step out and say hello to the neighbors?"

 

I did as Grace told me, leaving the new house for the first time since the I arrived. Waiting at the front door were two other kids, who looked to be my age: A boy in a dark blue outfit, and another girl, who wore an outfit decorated with black ribbons.

 

“Welcome to Vaniville Town! You must be Madison, right? I’m your neighbor, Calem, and this is Shauna.” Shauna smiled and waved at her energetically, her hand moving in a blur. “Hey! It’s nice to meet you!”

“Good morning. It’s nice to meet the two of you as well.”

 

As soon as Calem had opened his mouth, there was a warmth filling my chest. It wasn’t the sunlight, no, it was strange, making my heart rush so much I felt sick. _Well, this is probably nothing more than just a spell of infatuation. It should pass._

 

“The Professor in the Kalos region, Professor Sycamore, has a request for five kids, including us. But still, it’s a bit surprising the Professor already knows who you are. You did just get to Vaniville, after all.”

 

“We’ll wait for you in the next town! And you know what’s gonna happen then? We’re going to get our very own Pokémon! So hurry up and get there, okay?” With that, Shauna sped through the gates. “Shauna, wait up! Oh, and Madison, there’s no need to worry about the distance to Aquacorde Town. You just follow the short path out of town, and before you know it, you're already there.” _Everything -even the people- here are so full of life. I think I’m gonna like it here._

 


	2. Aquacorde Town

Crossing into town, all seemed to be peaceful and carefree. “Hey, Madison! This way! Over here!” As I looked over to the voice, Shauna was standing on a chair, waving frantically once we made eye contact. They were sitting with two other boys, one tall with a Vanillite shirt, the other a ginger dressed in green.

Calem stood up and walked by me. “This is our meeting place, Madison. Let me introduce you; Everyone, this is Madison. You already know Shauna. The kid in the Vanillite T-shirt is Tierno, he can really tear it up on the dance floor. And the kid in the green over there is Trevor. He’s really shy, but he also gets really good grades on his tests.”

Tierno shook my hand, nearly crushing it in between his own. “Alright, nice to meetcha!” As he set my hand down, he started to think “Y’know, it’d feel like we were a closer crew if we called each other by nicknames. Can I call you Lady M?”

“Absolutely not.” I deadpanned.

“No way, she’s a L’il M for sure! What do you think, Trevor?”

“What? You want me to nickname someone I just met? Shauna, you really shouldn’t put people on the spot like this...Hmm...Well, how about something low-key? Something like M-kins.”

“That’s not low key at all.”

“How about we do it the normal way and let Madison decide what her nickname should be?”

“Hmm...Something elegant, but still cute… I got it! Princess!”

Shauna’s eyes began to glow. “Yeah, Princess fits you perfectly! I’m sure we’re gonna be great friends, so I’ll call you that too!”

Shauna began to fidget and squirm in her seat. “Hey, can we see the Pokémon now? I want to meet my new partner soon!”

“Yeah, I know how that feels! It was such a cool feeling when Trevs and I met our starters. Hope you feel the same way we did!” Tierno reached down to get a case, dropping that case on the table. “So, you have a choice of Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie.”

“Hey, Princess, how about you pick first? Y’know, since you’re the new kid in town and everything…” He murmured, as I walked over to the case to see what caught my eye.

It took me less than 5 seconds to decide: I was a sucker for anything with big, cutesy eyes and a matching smile. I took it up in my arms, smiling back at it. “What did you say this one was called again?”

“That’s a Chespin! Do you want it?” I nodded, and it cuddled on my arm as I stepped aside to let Calem and Shauna look at the case.

“It’s good to meet you, Fennekin. My name’s Calem. Because of you, I can finally become a real Pokémon trainer. Thanks!” The fire fox Pokemon sat and purred in Calem’s lap as he started brushing its fur.

“Okay, that settles it! My very own partner is Froakie! I want to play together soon! With a little one like this with me, I’m sure my journey will be great!” The small frog jumped around Shauna’s legs, displaying the same level of energy that its trainer had.

“Uh, pardon me, but I have something for you from the Professor too. It’s something that’ll help you understand Pokémon on a deeper level.” He handed out the small red devices to the three of us, which began to glow in their centers. “Um, so you see... The Pokédex I just gave you is a high-tech device that automatically records the Pokémon you encounter! The reason you guys all get one is that the professor wants us to go on a journey with our Pokémon and complete the Pokédex. To put it another way, it's an important mission from the professor."

Trevor’s face was calm, almost startlingly so, until Tierno gave him a jovial slap on the back. “Oh lighten up Trevs! You’re way too serious sometimes. And Princess, be sure to take this with you, too. It’s a letter from the professor. He said you should give it to Grace, the lady in charge of your home stay."

As Teirno handed me the letter, I could smell a faint perfume radiating from the paper.

“And with that, we’re all done with the errand for the professor! I guess Trevs and I can go look for Pokémon now! Let's go, Trevs!"


	3. The Professor's Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just filler of what the professor's letter to Grace said, but feel free to skip to the next chapter if you don't feel like reading.

Dear Grace Desroches

I must sincerely thank you for agreeing to take Madison into your care while she is staying in the Kalos region and hope it’s no trouble to you to take her into your home. I would prefer she doesn't know of her connections to Diantha and myself as of now, and I am thinking about what stage in her journey will be the best fit for me to break the news to her. One possibility is if she happens to win over her mother if she challenges the league and claims a place of her own in the hall of fame, or if something else major is to happen to her, I will plan a grand celebration in her honor and will tell her then. 

If something is to happen to Madison concerning her health or safety, I now know that I have been allowed to attend to her in your place as her legal guardian. I’m sure no one will question this placement, but in the event that they do, I will simply state that I was an emergency contact for her. This is all I am going to tell Madison, and I’m sure this will satisfy her curiosity if the need arises.

Once again, I must thank you for your hospitality towards her, and I sincerely hope she enjoys her time in this beautiful region we call home. 

Best regards,  
Augustine Sycamore


	4. Santalune City

With a quickly trained Pidgey in one Pokéball and a slightly more experienced Chespin in the other, I figured taking on a bug gym would be a breeze.

It was what I saw when I stepped foot inside the gym that took my breath away: Every wall was covered in beautiful photographs of bug type Pokémon in action. If this region can even find beauty within bug Pokémon, then it really does deserve the credit it gets as the “Region of Beauty.” More beauty was only waiting for me on the second floor of the gym, which was a rainbow maze of spider webs and dew drops, surrounded by a forest of grass and leaves.

So, I took a deep breath in, and, after fighting against a few more trainers, finally worked up the courage to fight against the gym leader, Viola.

“That determined expression… That glint in your eye that says you're up to the challenge… It's fantastic! Just fantastic! Is this your first time challenging a Gym? Fantastic! Whether it's the tears of frustration that follow a loss or the blossoming of joy that comes with victory… They're both great subjects for my camera! Fantastic! This'll be just fantastic! Now come at me! My lens is always focused on victory—I won't let anything ruin this shot!"

If you pardon the pun, the battle was over in a snap, with her strongest, her Vivillon, going down against my Pidgey in about 3 turns, if that, while Chespin handled her Surskit very well on her own, especially after having only a few battles.

"You and your Pokémon have shown me a whole new depth of field! Fantastic! Just fantastic!" The bronze badges dangled from her belt, and she unclipped one, giving it to me to put in my badge case.

"Young Trainer, you… No, it wasn't you alone. You and that Pidgey of yours have shown me a whole new depth of field! Fantastic! Just fantastic! And here! This TM commemorates your win against a pro photographer like me.

Now, the TM that I just gave you is a move called Infestation. Use it, and it'll be impossible for your opponent to flee from battle! Now then, can you zoom in a bit to check out the tent behind me? Take the stairs that you find beyond it, and you'll be back up to the entrance faster than a flash!"

Thanking her for the battle, I had left town after the gym leader’s older sister, Alexa, had told me she wanted to put my battle in the newspaper. After all, nobody really reads the newspaper anymore.

Beyond Route 4, the professor's assistants told me of the newly-discovered Fairy type. They seemed to be so synchronized with each other it was hard to see how one could survive without the other around them at all times.

"My name's Sina! It's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady!"

"I'm Dexio. Two years ago, Professor Sycamore entrusted me with a Pokédex. You could call me a Pokémon-voyage veteran."

"Flabébé is--now brace yourself--a Fairy-type Pokémon!"

"Fairy type is a Pokémon type that was just classified recently."

I, of course as a sucker for anything cute or graceful, was determined to add at least one to my team as soon as they had finished their conversation.  
Afterward, they agreed to lead me into Lumiose City, where I would finally get to encounter this mythical Professor Sycamore for myself.


	5. Lumiose City, Part 1

As the two assistants walked with me into the bright, shining city, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at first. The buildings were the tallest I’d ever seen, at seeing the world famous Prism Tower shining in the center of the city didn’t help to calm me down either. That wasn’t where we were going (there was a bad blackout around the area, anyway) and instead I was ushered to a tall building that had two Pokéball statues decorating the entrance. I was told by Sina that this was Professor Sycamore’s laboratory as she helped me through the doors.

“I know you must've traveled a long way from Vaniville Town, but you're finally here! The professor can't wait to meet you. You can find him on the third floor, so just hop in the elevator and head on up!"

He must’ve heard about my arrival from the chiming of the elevator, as the professor had been standing by the elevator door waiting for me, with his expression looking giddily overjoyed. ”So, we finally meet!” _No, no, just because he’s happy to see you doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything, get your mind out of the gutter..._

He hung around me, urging me to sit down and stay a while. “It’s fantastic that you’re here. Come this way, won’t you?” I met him near his computer as he scanned my Pokédex.

"Many thanks for coming all the way from Vaniville Town! I'm Professor Sycamore! It's a pleasure to finally meet you! How is your Pokémon journey going so far, Madison?

Feeling overwhelmed, even by just his presence, I could only give him an awkward smile and a quick response. “It’s going very well, sir.”

“Fantastic! Let me have a quick look at your Pokédex and see!" Numbers and data rushed around the screen until it all locked in place, giving him a clear picture of my Pokédex. ”Oh ho! The pages are getting filled in! It’s starting to look good!”

“Thank you, sir. I’ve been trying my best with it.”

“Then again, I already knew you had a certain je ne sais quoi! That is to say, I’ve always had a good feeling about you. At first, I was thinking of choosing only one child from a town when I was deciding who to give a Pokémon to. In Vaniville Town, it was going to be the child of a Veteran Trainer I know. When I found out that Professor Rowan had sent you here for a home stay… Knowing that here in the Kalos region, you're far away from everything you used to know... That really hit me right here...”

The elevator chimed again, distracting the professor from his train of thought. Calem appeared, with Shauna running right behind him. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Professor."

“Fantastic! You’re here! Now, let’s all have a Pokémon battle!” The tall professor turned to me, and though I didn’t feel worthy enough to stare at him back, he made do with the glimpses of eye contact he got. So he really is nice to everyone, no need to worry. “Madison, your opponent shall be me! Just so you know, though, I’m not that tough!”

After the battle was over, he dropped his head in defeat. “Ha ha! You're too much for me! You're really something, aren't you? But, on that note, I think I’ve finally figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” Shauna popped back to reality at the sound of the professor’s voice.

“Madison, you are a very lovely Pokémon trainer indeed! So, I want you to take another Pokémon with you! Here, you can pick any one of these that you’d like.” The professor could probably sense me eyeing the Squirtle, but still, it just didn’t feel right to me to up and take it when he had already given me so many gifts.

“Professor, I-I don’t think I should, you’re being much too generous. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I could take anything else from you…”

“Don’t worry, then. I’ll keep Squirtle here for you for as long as you need, alright?” He whispered with a smile, then looked towards Calem and Shauna. “Come now, you two! One of you gets Charmander, and the other gets Bulbasaur, alright?”

As the two other trainers shuffled towards the briefcase, Shauna looked nervously down at the three Kanto starters. “I don’t know which one to pick! It’s so difficult to choose!”

“"It's OK, Shauna. Take your time. This is a big decision, after all."

“Geez, Cal, that’s not helping at all!” Shauna puffed up her cheeks, causing the professor to let go of a small chuckle.

“Well, I have the feeling everyone else will show up soon.” As if though he were a Psychic, Tierno and Trevor came bounding around the corner only seconds later.

“Hi, Professor Sycamore! Sorry we’re late, we just got so caught up in catching new Pokémon, that we must’ve lost track of time.”

“What’s this? It looks like everyone else’s already here.” Trevor shrunk down in embarrassment as the rest of the group looked at him sympathetically, knowing he was trying his best in these awkward situations.

“See guys? I told you they’d be coming any second.” The professor smiled at the two boys. Wonderful! That means everyone's all here! So now that we're all here, I'd like to say a few words. Be the best Trainer you can be! At the same time, remember to have fun traveling with your Pokémon! Also, I want to ask for your help in solving the Kalos region's biggest Pokémon mystery: the secret and potential of Mega Evolution, a new kind of Evolution that occurs in battle!”

“So, you want us to figure out Mega Evolution? But then, what should we do about the Pokédex?”

"Trevor, my lad, if that's what "being your own best Trainer" means to you, then I want you to go out there and complete that Pokédex!"

“Mega Evolution sounds really interesting!” Shauna chirped, as she always did. How her smile never seemed to fade was beyond me.

"If you're interested in investigating Mega Evolution, why don't you check out Camphrier Town? That town has a lot of history--you might find a hint there! Now listen. If you visit many different places to complete the Pokédex, you will probably see Pokémon with many ways of living and meet people with many ways of thinking. First, accept the ways of living and thinking that sometimes conflict with your own. And then, try to think about what's really important--this will truly broaden your horizons."

“I think being different from others is a part of what makes me special. Mastering Mega Evolution will definitely set me apart from other Trainers!"

As our chat with each other was starting to disband for the day, I headed out of the lab, wanting to reach Camphrier Town as soon as possible. That was my goal until I went down to the first floor and noticed an angry-looking redhead blocking the exit, who was having a conversation with Sina that was too loud not to overhear.  
“So, I’ll be able to meet them soon, then?”

“Yes.”

“The children chosen by the professor… I wonder what potential they have.”

“And here’s one of them now…That's Madison. Madison, come here a sec!”

“Oh! So you’re one of the children who received a Pokédex from the Professor then...How wonderful! Yes, that is a wonderful thing indeed. You are one of the chosen ones! I am Lysandre. I’ve tried to learn as much about Pokémon as I can, in order to build a brighter future. Professor Sycamore has taught me so much.

Oh, I see you have a Holo Caster! Knowledge is power, after all. Put it to good use. Now listen! It is vital that this world become a better place. And the people and Pokémon chosen to make the world better must work tirelessly to achieve this goal. Well, I'll be off. Please give Professor Sycamore my best. My desire…it is for a more beautiful world!"

“He makes me wonder sometimes...I wonder what kind of beautiful world Lysandre desires. In the great big region that is Kalos, there are many different Pokémon. I hope getting a Pokédex gives you a chance to learn a lot about them.”

The elevator opened, with all of the other kids spilling out at once. “Princess, there’s a place I wanna go check out! So, I’ll see you around! Bye guys!” Shauna hurried out the door, still running ahead of everybody else, only being boosted with that energy of hers.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, Princess. I’ll be waiting for you in Café Soleil, neighbor!” He walked out the door to make his way there, leaving me with Tierno and Trevor, who were busy talking to each other.

“I wonder what Calem wants to talk about. Why couldn’t he just use the Holo Caster?”

“I don’t know Trevs, but whatever it is, it seems pretty hush-hush. I’m not gonna lie, I _am_ pretty curious about what’s going on, but we should probably stay out of it. Oh, and by the way, Princess, to get to Camphrier Town, leave the lab, turn left, and then go straight from there. And the café that Cal was talking about, Café Soleil, is over that same way, too.”

Trying my best to remember Tierno’s directions, I headed out for the café with them following behind me. “Lumiose may be a pretty big city, but as long as you stay on the main streets, you shouldn’t get lost.”

You should rethink who you’re talking too, Trevor, considering it’s easy for me to get lost in Santalune Forest…  
“I’m gonna go on a little walk. The streets sure are all over the place here!” With that said, Tierno also left to go on his little voyage.

“Okay, just so you remember, Camphrier Town and Café Soleil are over to the left of here, then you just keep going straight. You should see the names on the signs, anyway.” As Trevor had left to go catch up with Tierno, I had been left alone to wonder this whole big city by myself. _May Arceus have mercy on my soul, or I am never getting out of here alive._

Somehow, I managed to make my way to Café Soleil in one piece, but I couldn’t help but feel relieved when I saw Calem standing outside. "Come inside with me for a second."

"Oh, it's Lysandre and ... Is that Diantha? So get this, neighbor, Lysandre is the head of Lysandre Labs, the company that created the Holo Caster. You already know about Diantha, right? She is one of the most famous movie stars in the world, after all. I wonder what the two of them are doing here together."

Again, the conversation was so loud that it was no surprise if everyone else in the café could hear it too.

"You played a young girl so wonderfully in your debut on the silver screen. Wouldn't you rather remain young and beautiful forever and always play such roles?"

“Well, that’s such a strange question...Why would I want to play the same old roles forever? Youth may be beautiful, but that’s not all there is to life. Everything changes, Lysandre. I want to live and change like that, too. I look forward to being able to play different roles as I get older.”

Her voice had now dropped to a whisper. “Besides, you and I both already know of the situation that went on between Augustine and me.”

"You were chosen to be a movie star, correct? Isn't it your duty to be ever beautiful? Everything beautiful should stay that way forever. I would make this world unchanging and eternal so all beauty will last forever. I can't stand the thought of the world becoming uglier.

Oh, hello Madison. This is one of my acquaintances, Diantha. She’s one of the most accomplished movie stars in Kalos. She moves the multitudes with her excellent acting...Which is to say that she dedicates her life to making other people happy. If only everyone were like her, then what a beautiful world this would be. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to somewhere else.”

As Diantha glanced in our direction, I could feel her eyes glowing on me, as if they themselves were spotlights. “Oh? And who might you be?”

 

"I'm Calem. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Diantha. This is..."  
“Madison, right?” When she smiled at me, I felt the light again. It wasn’t Calem’s warmth, where it was overwhelming and sudden, this was a cool, refreshing light that I wanted to bask in for myself one day, as it felt like it was starlight. “You both have such pretty names. Oh, and I see you’re both trainers! Don’t your Pokémon look happy? I’m a trainer myself, at least during my off time. I look forward to us battling someday!” As she left the café, most of her light left with her, but some of it still lingered.

I could tell Calem had been star struck too, though I didn’t dare say anything. "Hmm... I guess Pokémon Trainers all battle each other, no matter who they are. Oh, yeah. I wanted to ask you something, neighbor. How about you and I compete and see who ends up stronger? I know we set off on our journey just after you arrived in Vaniville, but we are neighbors, and having a competition with you sounds like fun. I won't lose though, just so you know."

As he left the café, I heard my Holo Caster ring with a message from Tierno. "I'm out on Route 5 right now, and it's just hopping with wild Pokémon! Hurry and come check it out!" So, naturally, I did as Tierno said, gathering my bearings, and, eventually, finding my way to Route 5.


	6. Camphrier Town

However, when Tierno said that Versant Road was hopping with wild Pokémon, I didn’t think he meant it in the sense that a Lucario would run up to me from out of the blue. “Wait, Lucario!” I heard a voice call out from the distance. The voice’s owner was a woman decked out in rollerblading attire. “I’m so sorry about that, are you okay? I was just doing some special training with my Lucario when all of a sudden it just dashed off… Lucario, was it this girl who’s aura you were attracted to?” The bipedal Pokémon nodded, slowly getting closer to me. “Well, it looks to me like Lucario likes you!”

“You think so? I mean, I don’t really think I have an aura of my own…Or at least, if I do, it’s not anything special.”

"See, Lucario can read people's auras. I guess there must be something in your aura that’s made this one take a liking to a stranger! This Lucario is always getting worked up in battle with my other one. Maybe it's just waiting for a Trainer to appear who's strong enough to challenge it... Oops! I was on such a roll, I forgot to even introduce myself! I'm Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader. If you're collecting Gym Badges, I'm sure we'll be battling sooner or later! I'm looking forward to it. I hope you know how to roll with the punches!"

Korrina and her pair of Lucario strolled back to town, and I followed them from a distance. I was pleasantly surprised to see a castle lining one of its dirt roads. As I went inside, all that was there was an elegant stand with a flute, and a tourist guide guarding said flute. Unsurprisingly, this man did not know a thing about Mega Evolution. Other than that, however, there was nothing out of the ordinary to see or do around town, so, I just left, hopeful for a new adventure right around the corner.


	7. Amberette Town

Although I did have to once again struggle through getting lost in a section of Kalos that was obvious and quick to most people, there was a literal light at the end of the tunnel as soon as I crossed the path and was greeted with the thought of being on a mountainside who knows how many feet up in the air. This was not helped by Dexio’s sudden introduction startling me out of my nervous trance. He was joined by Sina, and, of course, they were speaking in sync again, not once interrupting each other.

"Stop right there! Ah ha ha! We didn't mean to surprise you. How are you and Chespin doing?"

"Haven't you wondered how a single Pokédex could possibly cover a region as big as Kalos?"

"Well, it can't! That's why we are here to power up your Pokédex!"

"The Coastal Kalos Pokédex will be on your Pokédex menu, so tap it to select it!"

"New encounters help people and Pokémon grow and mature! We'll be taking our leave now! Bon voyage!"

Of course, when they left again, the only thing I could keep my eyes on was the waves down below, which was, unfortunately, where my eyes instantly leaped every time I tried to think of something different to focus on. I finally caught a break, however, when the path was revealed to be shorter than I expected, and, at the end, I was greeted by Calem.

"Hey, neighbor! "This is Ambrette Town. You go through the aquarium at the edge of town to get to Cyllage City. But first, maybe we should go to the Fossil Lab and have them tell us about Fossils. Maybe we'll learn something about those mysterious stones related to Mega Evolution."

Arriving at the fossil lab, we were approached by a scrawny scientist wearing large glasses. “Hello there, future archeologists! You must’ve been drawn here by the mystique of the fossils, no doubt!”

Calem, noticing my nervousness, stepped forward slightly. “I’m Calem, and this is Madison. We’re researching Mega Evolution, and we were wondering if you know anything about it.”

“Oh! So you’re Professor Sycamore’s students! I’ve heard about you! Hmm, Mega Evolution, you say? I’m sorry, but all I know is that it has something to do with mysterious stones...Still, since you’re students of the professor, you must know about Fossil Pokémn, correct?”

I nodded. As I had only gotten as far away from home as Oreburgh City when I was in Sinnoh, fossils were something I saw pretty often.

“Wonderful! I expect no less from the professor’s students! Fossils are the legacy of prehistoric Pokémon! You should really go to our dig site to look at them firsthand.”

“Hmm, maybe we should go and look for some fossils. What do you think, Madison?” I smiled softly at him and nodded, following him out on the path to the Glittering Cave dig site.


	8. Cyllage City

While exploring Glittering Cave, I didn’t see any fossil Pokémon in person, but I did happen to make two interesting discoveries: There is an organization called Team Flare who is trying to make money for...something to work. They were harassing one of the Fossil Lab employees about their research, too. From what I can remember, they were trying to make money by robbing the dig site and selling the fossils for a profit. Calem and I put up a pretty good fight against them, though. Also, I met a Solrock while exploring (also known as being totally lost); Contrary to what most people think, they’re not mean or creepy, or at least their not trying to be, anyway. Mine seems like it was happy to join my team and get to make friends with Chespin and Pidgeotto. They also seem pretty calm, so I think I’ll like having mine around on my journey.

When I finally did reach Cyllage City, I accidentally wandered farther north outside of the city limits than I was supposed too, but I ended up meeting an Eevee! I wonder if Eevee has a Fairy-type evolution? As I figured I had explored around the city limits enough, it was time to find adventure inside the city. After someone had told me that the entrance to the next gym was on a narrow cliff side, I considered chickening out from this gym altogether. But, after a good 20 minutes or so of soft crying and trying to locate the entrance as soon as possible, I am happy to report that I was able to find the gym. The bad news though, was that it had a rock-climbing puzzle, and the rushing of the waterfall behind the gym only made my fear worse.

Having no luck in getting the Gym Leader to come down and have our battle on the ground, I faced my fear of heights and climbed to reach him. "I've been waiting in eager anticipation! What have I been waiting for? For a worthy challenger to appear! It's quite an achievement to have climbed all the way up here. Very impressive, actually! I have a feeling that our battle will turn out to be worth the wait! I hope you'll show me that your skill as a Trainer surpasses even mine." We started the battle with his Aumara against my Solrock. All I have to say is, who would’ve guessed that Solrock could learn Flamethrower? After Aumarua went down, Chespin was able to use Vine Whip to take down Tyrunt, which is rather weak for a T-Rex. Even the gym leader himself looked surprised that our battle was that short.

"There are some things that seem out of reach no matter how hard you try. However, it's important that you never give up--no matter the opponent or the odds. I could tell from our battle that you and your Pokémon understand that. To commemorate such an impressive show of teamwork, please accept the Cliff Badge! And that's not all. You also get...this! It's Rock Tomb. With this move, a Pokémon can hurl rocks at its target, not only inflicting damage but also lowering the target's Speed and preventing it from moving. Now that you've become a master wall climber and conquered this Gym, it's time you thought about how to apply your skills in other areas! Think about how you can improve yourself, as well as the Pokémon that are always by your side. When you find the answer, that's when you'll truly be able to smile!" Thanking the Gym Leader for his time, I examined the badge before climbing back down the rock wall.  _I can do this. I came up here, so I can get back down on the ground too._


	9. Geosenge Town, Part 1

Looking back on it now, Geosenge really did seem like your average, peaceful town. 


	10. Shalour City

Past the Reflection Cave, there was Shalour City, which was much more interesting. It had a gym and the Tower of Mastery; A large tower in the center of the city, where people went to study Mega Evolution. Professor Sycamore had told her to go there and meet with a man called “the Mega Evolution guru.” So, she followed his instructions and walked into the intimidating tower. A large statue of a Lucario was the centerpiece, and was standing right on top of a small green door. As there was no one else around, I reluctantly knocked on the small green door. Inside was Korrina, who was standing with an older-looking man. “Hello, do you know where I could find the Mega Evolution guru?”

“Oh? You must be Madison, then. The professor told me you would be coming, I’m an acquaintance of his. I’m the Mega Evolution guru, Gurkinn. Now, come here for a moment, will you?” He then looked around with a puzzled expression. “Huh? Is there only one of you? I thought he had given five kids a Pokédex.”

“Oh!” I heard Trevor’s voice, turning around to meet the source. Of course, Tierno was right by his side.

“Who’s that you're talkin’ to, Princess?” Tierno glanced at the pair.

“People call me the Mega Evolution guru!”

“Uh, my name is Tierno. And that’s Madison over there.” Tierno had seemingly been paralyzed by the man’s gaze.

“My name is Trevor.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sycamore’s pupils! Speaking of which, there’s a lot of hubbub going on out there suddenly, that must mean that everybody’s here.”

After he left to go check on everyone outside, Korrina started talking. “Hey there! I see you made it to Shalour City! Lucario is in its Pokéball, but I can tell it’s really happy to see you!”  
We walked out of the small room, faced with Shauna and Calem. “Hmm! Looks like my suspicions were correct, everyone is finally here!”

“Madison, where have you been?” Calem called to me, then paused. “I mean, it’s not like I was ever worried about you or anything...” As his eyes shied towards the floor, I could feel my heart grow warmer, and a not so secret streak of blush grow across my face.

“It does feel like it’s been awhile since our whole group was together in one place like this.” Trevor was looking at Calem, then took his gaze back to me.

“Yeah! I think the last time we all met was on maybe Route 7?” Tierno shifted to face Gurkinn. “Mr. Mega Evolution Guru, I’ve been wondering this whole time, who is that over there?”

Gurkinn stepped aside, introducing Korrina to everyone else. “"This is my granddaughter Korrina. She's Shalour City's Gym Leader. So, Sycamore's pupils. Now that you're all here... I suppose I should explain Mega Evolution to you. I assume you all know about Pokémon Evolution?"

“Well, if you think about it like that, Mega Evolution is an Evolution that transcends all other Evolution!" Korrina beamed at her grandfather.

“Indeed! Mega Evolution is a transformation of Pokémon that were thought to be unable to evolve any further! It's a whole new level of power!"

“Not all Pokémon can Mega Evolve, though,” Korrina commented.

"There's also a reason why I used the word "transformation" a moment ago. Mega Evolution differs from Evolution because it ends after a certain amount of time. In other words, it's a temporary Evolution."

“So, it evolves, but then just goes back to what is was before?”  
"Yes. Mega Evolution is a special kind of Evolution. That said, we still know very little about it. What we know now is that it requires special items, but the most important element is the trust between Pokémon and Trainer."

"To make Mega Evolution work, you need two items: a Mega Stone for the Pokémon and the Mega Ring, which has a mysterious stone set in it, for the Trainer. Since Professor Sycamore entrusted each one of you with a Pokédex, I would like to give these items to all of you... I'd like to share them with you, but unfortunately I only have one set on me at the moment. So, I want all of you to decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to challenge the successor."

My thoughts began to race back to my first journey in Sinnoh. Usually, if you were to let Barry decide which one of us were to get something, he’d argue his case until the Miltank came home.

“I’ll pass. Battling isn’t really my scene. Someone else could use it way more.”

Thank you, Tierno.

“Same here! I mean, I really do think it’d make a cool memory, and it does sound interesting, but I’m just on this journey for fun, not research!”

Thank you, Shauna.

“I’d like to complete the Pokédex first. I figure if I try to do too much at once, I won’t accomplish anything.”

Thank you, Trevor.

“I guess that leaves it between Princess and Calem, then.”

“In terms of our group, trainers don’t get much better than you two.”

“Hey, Madison, let’s battle for it! A battle will help us decide who Vaniville Town’s strongest trainer really is! So, how about it?”

“Okay. Let’s battle.” I said, calmly holding on to my Sylveon’s Pokéball. I hated to admit it, but I was nervous for this battle. How would he react, no matter what ended happening?

First out on his side was a Meowstic. “Alright, Sylveon, use Bite!” A heavy flinch from Meowstic, but it still wasn’t down, and Meowstic attacked back with a Psybeam. “Use Bite one more time!” Once more Sylveon lunged forward, this time making Calem recall his Pokémon. “Good job, Sylveon!”

“Absol, come on out!”

“Sylveon, use Disarming Voice.” In one hit, his Absol is down as well.

“Braixen, let’s turn this battle around!”

“Alright Sylveon, return. Solrock, it’s your turn!”

“Braixen, use Psybeam!”

“Solrock, use Rock Slide.”

With a pile of rocks falling onto the fire fox Pokémon, Calem had no choice but to return his Braixen to its Pokéball. "Your bonds with your Pokémon really are strong. I don't like losing much, but... I'm sure you'll be able to Mega Evolve your Pokémon! I'll bet the Professor will be happy if you master Mega Evolution. That's one way you can show mastery as a Trainer."

“Well then, Madison! That was a very impressive battle! You should challenge Korrina at the gym!”

“I’ll be waiting! And the rest of you can come and challenge me too, alright?” Taking Korrina’s advice, I set out towards the gym -after giving my Pokémon a well-deserved rest, of course- and watched the others walk out of the tower after me.

As the Shalour City Gym was a whole maze based off of Korrina’s addiction with roller skating, let’s just say that it took me, who’s not very good with directions, quite a while to reach the leader. "Time for Lady Korrina's big appearance! Haha, I'm just messing around with you! I know, you must be rollin' in the aisles, right? I already know you're a strong Trainer, so let's get this show on the road! Mienfoo, start us off!"

Sylveon was able to take down both her Meinfoo and Hawlucha, though, once Korrina’s Lucario was on the battlefield, I had no choice but to switch out. Chespin was a no-go, and even though Solrock had Psybeam, if it took one super-effective hit it’d be down in an instant. Pidgeotto was probably her best option, even though the match up would take a while. “Pidgeotto, use Fly.”

It took three, maybe four tries, but eventually, her Lucario was tired, in the kneeling position on the ground.

"Oh! I have been defeated! Alack, alay! Lady Korrina gave a terrible display! This is it. I must give up my title and admit that your strength far exceeds-- Just teasing! But here's your Badge.”

I thanked her for her time, putting the bright red badge in the matching space in my badge case. 5 more to go.

“Boy, you'll be rolling in 'em soon! Now, you'll be able to roll over waves using the HM Surf, even outside battle! And here, why don't you take this TM? I've really been on a roll with it myself!

 

Power-Up Punch does just what it says on the box! The more that you use it, the tougher your fists get. Keep using it, and your Attack will go through the roof!

You'll have to make it up to the top of the Tower of Mastery if you want the Mega Ring, though! I'm sorry for sending you every which way. I swear, I'm not trying to give you the runaround! You've done great rolling with the punches. So great that I'd like to ask you a favor... Battle me again, won't you? But this time, it won't be just another Gym Battle... I want a battle between equals! As two Trainers who can use Mega Evolution! I'll be waiting for you with Lucario at the top of the Tower of Mastery!"

I followed her out of the gym and met her at the top of the staircase a few minutes later, after healing my team.

"I really love this place! When I'm here with my Pokémon, looking at the wide-open sky above, all my worries disappear, and I feel like I can do anything! It was decided that this is the place where the Mega Ring is handed over. Something about making sure we never forget to set our sights as high as the sky. And here it is--your very own Mega Ring! It's in the shape of a bracelet, so it's super easy to wear!"

I could do nothing but stare at it for a few moments, the multi-colored marble shimmering in the reaching sunlight as it spread across the roof of the tower. Slipping the bracelet on my wrist, I gave a small nod, getting used to the comforting amount of pressure that flowed from the stone.

I saw one of the Lucario standing by Korrina’s side give a small nod to its trainer as if they were negotiating something, and the Lucario then walked over to my side. "Lucario, are you sure? You want to battle alongside that Trainer?"

Lucario nodded once more, confirming its thoughts. I needed some time to think as well. Why me? I’m not special, so why would I be able to separate its bond with Korrina like that?

"I don't know what to say... I'm a bit shocked that some traveling Trainer seems to have a stronger bond with you than I do... Haha! Well, she must be something special! So, whaddya say, Madison? Will you and Lucario battle against me and my Lucario? A Lucario-on-Lucario battle! It will be nothing short of riveting. They both have Lucarionite in hand! How about we get this show on the road?"

Taking a deep breath, I tried to push down on the butterflies in my stomach as I agreed to her challenge.  
"I can feel Lucario's passion. Perhaps it's just that it doesn't want to lose to the other Lucario, but it may be that it's just on the same wavelength as you..."

"Let's give it all we've got!"

The thing with that battle against Korrina wasn’t that it was a breathtakingly close battle or how I was able to take full control of Mega Lucario on the first try. In fact, it was the opposite, as it had actually taken three attempts for me to finally work up the strength to control my new partner. In between attempts she’d convince me to give it another chance, claiming she wanted to show Lucario what Mega Evolution was like. A migraine like pain was pulsing in my head from the time Korrina had tapped on the stone in her own Mega Glove, and I could suddenly feel a never ending wave of heat flush over me.

"I think it would be best if you took that Lucario along with you on your journey. You two make an incredible team!"

In any other situation, I would’ve turned her down. She and her grandfather had already given me so much, from the Mega Stone to the matching bracelet. Still, I could see the fire in Lucario’s eyes, which let me know that turning him away wasn’t going to be a good answer.

“Alright, I’ll take him.”


	11. Coumarine City

My visit to Coumarine City was interesting. Not in the same way that Geosenge was, but the kind of interesting that someone would be sure could’ve only happened when the stars aligned.

It was raining and I had decided to take shelter in the monorail station when I felt that aura, the one that felt like cool and refreshing starlight. Sure enough, Diantha was there, quietly talking to the professor, who had turned to face me when I walked in. “Hello, Madison! Congratulations! I see you finally have everything you need in order to achieve Mega Evolution. "It's only a hypothesis, but I think the bond between Pokémon and Trainer is the key to Mega Evolution. But what is this bond, exactly? And why are there examples of Mega Evolution only in the Kalos region? There's still so much we don't know..."

"Doesn’t this make you think of something like our Legendary Pokémon? How they're only found here, in the Kalos region? Nowhere else? Maybe that's not a coincidence."

"Oh! What an excellent point! The more you know, the more there is to research! The excitement never ends, does it?" The professor stayed in his tangent for a minute longer, then snapping his fingers as he remembered something. "Oh, that's right! Madison, I came here to give you this." He handed me an HM for fly, then left.

"Bonds... They really are important to us all, aren't they? When I'm acting, I think I'm always trying to forge a bond between myself and the character I'm playing. If all I think about is how I'm nothing like a character, then I'll just hate playing it. But if I focus on what I have in common with the character and put myself in her shoes, I might be able to understand her. It's the same for people--or Pokémon." As she was talking to no one in particular, a pinkish blush of admiration spread over my face and I was lucky in that everyone else’s attention was focused on the movie star.

"Oh, Madison, never mind me! I'm just babbling about my own things. Let's have a battle the next we meet, shall we? I'm still looking forward to it!" As Diantha left the station, I got my ticket for the next monorail, which would take me to the Hillcrest side of town.

Of course, right before I worked up the courage to step foot inside the gym, Calem came speeding towards me, asking for a battle. “Hey, neighbor. Sorry if this is really sudden, but I want to have a battle with you. I want to see Mega Evolution in action. Whether or not you use it is up to you, but as a trainer, I want to see the things that make your Pokémon special.

In about 15 minutes or so, I had won the battle, with the last matchup being his Absol against my Lucario, who I’d decided not to Mega Evolve again until I was sure that I could handle the migraine spell that came with it. “Oof. I had forgotten how strong you were."

“It’s strange, though. Even though we set off from Vaniville Town at the same time, there's a gap in our strength. Do you have something I don't? I guess I have to think about that.”

Calem paused before trying to not draw attention to his discomfort, which only made it more obvious. “Well, good luck with your Gym Battle." He set off as if though we had never encountered each other.

Now was the time for me to face the gym leader and their entourage of trainers. As I had heard from the grapevine that it was a Grass-type gym, I had settled my Pokéballs in their order of when I’d probably need them; Pidgeot in front, with Lucario and possibly Sylveon acting as a backup if things didn’t go as planned.

The gym was built like a vine, long and tall and sturdy. I guess, if the pun is excusable, you could call it a jungle gym. There’s no water here though, the water can’t reach you from here, you’re safe.

Soon, using my courage and repeating the phrase “don’t look down.” I was able to meet the gym leader, an elderly looking man with a pair of hedge clippers that were probably bigger than he was. "Ho! So you've made it clear up here! I'm the Gym Leader. Ramos's the name. So what'd yeh think, whippersnapper? Did yeh enjoy the garden playground I made with all these sturdy plants o' mine? Their strength is a sign o' my strength as a gardener and a Gym Leader! Yeh sure yer up to facing all that?"  
Using type advantages, the battle was short, as my strong bird Pokémon was able to single-handedly to cut the leaders Grass-type team down. Yeh believe in yer Pokémon... And they believe in yeh, too... Mighty oaks from acorns grow. Go on, then. Yeh've earned it. Here's yer own Plant Badge, sprout. If yeh've got yerself a Plant Badge, then yeh can use the HM Fly even when not battling. It's a real boon. Here--have this, too. Might as well make hay while the sun shines, I reckon. That TM there is for Grass Knot. Yeh can use it to trip yer opponent up in the grass. The heavier the opponent, the harder it'll fall--and the more it'll hurt. Ain't it a marvel? Frail little blades o' grass can break through concrete, even. I can't help admirin' that strength."

After I was on the ground, I held up the leaf-shaped badge, admiring the way it shimmered for a while before slipping it into the badge case. 4 more to go.

Soon, my Holocaster began to ring with a message. I glanced at it, to see the caller was Lysandre.

“Professor Sycamore told me that you now have access to Mega Evolution. That’s truly wonderful! With that power, you can steer the future in a better direction! We can’t just cover up the old filth with new filth, after all! I implore you to consider what we need to do to change the world into a new, beautiful world!”

As the message finished, his image faded away and the Holocaster closed. That was a good message, creating a new, beautiful world.


	12. Lumiose City 2: Electric Boogaloo

"Princess!  I ran after you like crazy when I spotted you up ahead! Know what? I heard the power's back on here in Lumiose City! Some really bad people were stealing electricity from the Kalos Power Plant… and then somebody came and stopped 'em! No one knows who, but they must be awesome! Who do you think it was?"

 

“Who knows?” I chuckled, brushing the last bit of dry desert dirt off of my skirt and hoping Shauna wouldn’t notice.

 

"And get this! They're gonna light the tower! Let's go see it together, Princess! It's Lumiose City's most famous sight! It’s right this way!  Go straight ahead you'll run smack into Prism Tower!"

 

"Good timing, Princess! They're just about to turn on the lights!"  
"Look!  There’s Clemont with his little sister Bonnie! He's Lumiose City's Gym Leader! He's also good at inventing things, and he makes all kinds of devices! They’re my friends!"

 

Looking out at the two of them, I noticed Bonnie was turned around and speaking to her brother. "Aren't you done yet?"

"Not quite... I just have to check on the lighting circuit here, and… Presto! Everything's ready! The future is now, thanks to science! Prism Tower lighting system... ACTIVATE! "  


"Oh, Shauna! And that girl with you is...a challenger?”

 

Bright white columns of light began to flash on suddenly, rising to the top of Prism Tower until the whole building was glowing brightly.

  
"I think you call this feeling being "entranced," right? Now, I have another great memory with you, Princess!"

  
"Clemont's inventions sure are amazing, right? He gave me one to solve puzzles, but it always feels like a shame to use it, so I haven't yet."  "OK! Good luck at the Gym, Princess!"   


As I was right by it, I figured that I should just go inside, as the experience I had gained back at the power plant should’ve been enough. The quiz inside the gym was easy enough, and, upon realizing that this was going to be an Electric type gym, I was able to switch out my team properly. "Oh! Thank you again for coming. Allow me to introduce myself..."’

 

Bonnie ran in front of him, shouting enthusiastically. “The Gym Leader of Lumiose City, Clemont! You’d better watch out! He’s super strong!”

  
"Bonnie! How many times do I have to remind you... It's not my own strength that matters, nor any other Trainer's. None of us would be here if it weren't for our Pokémon."

 

Bonnie huffed at the reprimand, puffing up her cheeks. “Fine...I hope you two have an awesome battle, though!”

  
"She's right about that, at least. Let's both do our best in battle." Firing off one of his inventions, he called his first Pokémon to the field, which was his Emolga. As expected of Solrock (and having at least 20 Super Potions on hand whenever the odds started tilting away from me), having both Rock Slide and Flamethrower made the battle a breeze. "Wow! Your passion for battle inspires me!"

 

"M-my brother...lost?" Bonnie’s eyes widened as if though if something didn’t happen soon, she’d start crying.

 

"Oh, Bonnie... When will you learn there's no shame in losing? I'm glad whenever I get to learn something new thanks to strong challengers like this girl here. Now, to the victor go the spoils! This Voltage Badge belongs to you! And here. Take this TM as well..."

 

"Oh, I know! I know this one! It's TM24! That's Thunderbolt! It has a power of 90 and its accuracy is 100 percent! It'll never miss! It's a really popular Electric move because of that!"

  
"Arghhh! Bonnie, you--!” He sighed, regaining his composure after the red blush of embarrassment had faded from his cheeks. “The future is now, thanks to science! Behold the machine that gives: Technical Machines!”

 

He turned to his little sister, who looked at him downheartedly. “I just wanted to be able to say it, OK? At least once. Look, I'm not... It's not like I'm just trying to make myself stronger or anything like that. All I'm trying to do is enjoy every day to the fullest with my Pokémon, while doing the science that I love with my passion for inventing."  


Like in Courmarine, as soon as I left the gym, my Holocaster chimed with a message, but this time, it was the professor. “Hello there, Madison! I wanted to talk to you for a little bit. Could you come to Lysandre Café? Do you know where that is? You can probably spot it from the Pokémon Center right by Prism Tower. It’s the bright red café. You can hop in a taxi if you can’t find it, but be sure to stay safe. See you soon!”

  
As I had spotted the crimson-colored cafe, I made my way over to a waiting Professor Sycamore, who was with Lysandre. “Madison, come over here!”

 

“Sorry to make you wait, sirs.” I bowed my head in apology, careful to not let myself make eye contact with either of them. _I’m good enough for eye contact._

 

No, no, we were only waiting for a moment! In fact, we were just talking about you! I was just having a conversation with Lysandre about Mega Evolution, and how you’re now able to do it on your own.”

 

“I would like to congratulate you as well. Mega Evolution is something that I, too, would like to be able to use.”

 

“Actually, Madison, did you know that Lysandre himself is of royal ancestry? So, in a way, he truly is a chosen one.”

 

“It’s true. I’m a descendant of the king’s younger brother. That being said, the story is 3,000 years old, so it might not be entirely reliable.”

 

“By the way, Madison, do you know where the Holocaster is made?” _Don’t answer him. You don’t deserve to answer him._ “Well, they just happen to be made in Lysandre's lab. Lysandre is a great man. He supports Trainers and Pokémon research with some of the profit from the Holo Caster."

 

“People can be divided into two groups; There are those who give, and those who take. It’s just as how the Kalos region’s two legendary Pokémon gave and took life. I want to be the kind of person who can give something to society. But alas, in this world, there exist some foolish humans who show their strength by taking what isn’t theirs. They’re all filth! Long, long ago, the king of Kalos sought to take everything for his own, and he created a terrible weapon. With that weapon, the fire of destruction was unleashed. That’s the legend that has been passed down. Though, Kalos is beautiful right now! There will be no more opportunities for foolish actions if the number of Pokémon and people do not increase. That being said, the future is still undecided. You can’t be certain that each day will be like the one before it. What the king of Kalos did is reprehensible, but the ultimate weapon did manage to wash the world clean of that era’s filth.”

 

After he was finished with his monologue, he walked over to me with an eerie grin, pulling a King’s Rock out of his pocket.

 

“Thank you for listening to me. Take this as my apology for taking up your important time.”

As he left, the professor turned to look at me with a half-hearted smile.

 

“He's just like a blazing flame. Perhaps his pride in his lineage is what makes him burn so intensely. That being said, what Lysandre says is only one way to looking at things, it's not necessarily the truth. Madison, what's truly important is the time you spend together with others! Treasure these moments spent traveling the Kalos region with your Pokémon!"

 

I left the uncomfortable air of the café, only to receive another message, this time from Trevor. "Hello. How have you been? I just wanted to let you know we're all going to meet on Route 14. Please come and join us."

 


	13. Laverre City

 

Upon reaching Laverre City, I knew that I needed to challenge the gym immediately. It was a fairy type gym, and that meant lots of cute, irresistible Pokémon. A part of me regrets doing that, however, because despite how much I adored the Fairy-type, I had really only used 1 on my traveling team, so I didn’t know much about what they did or what their strengths and weaknesses were. Needless to say, I did find myself spinning and teleporting myself up to Valerie’s room at least twice. Not that I minded though; The entire gym was decorated like a fancy dollhouse, with the trainers wearing beautiful dresses that somewhat reminded me of my Sinnoh home.

 

"Oh, if it isn't a young Trainer... So you've flown all the way through my Gym, fluttering down to me on a fortunate wind. Then I suppose you have earned yourself the right to a battle, as a reward for your efforts. I am Valerie, who leads this Fairy-type Gym. I hope your visit will prove entertaining to you. The elusive Fairy types may appear frail as a breeze and delicate as a bloom, but they are strong."

 

One rematch later, I found myself holding the Laverre City Gym’s intricate gym badge for my own. It was a soft pink color, and it looked like a butterfly. “This is the Fairy Badge. It is yours now. Its beauty is captivating, is it not?  
I also wish to award you this TM... Please consider it a personal gift from me, not simply the winnings of a battle."

  
"Oh? My, what a curious feeling... I can't seem to recall any longer which move is contained in that TM. I hope you might forgive me. My designs are said to be rather mystifying. Do you agree with that? I've always wanted to be a Pokémon, you see. That desire is my inspiration and what I try to achieve by designing. And yet...the only time I feel I am truly one with Pokémon is when we are embroiled in desperate battle. I wonder why that is…

 

I bowed my head, taking one last look at Valerie and her dollhouse gym before being teleported back to the entrance.

 

My gaze was soon directed to a stone-paved staircase, which lead to a building- the paint job on the outside was faded, but you could still tell that it hadn’t been abandoned. Trevor and Shauna had been standing on the third stair, talking to each other.

 

“He’ll let us in, Trevs, you’ll see! In fact, I’ll go talk to him again right now!”

 

“Shauna, wait! I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Calem and Tierno came dashing up the stairs after them. “Did Shaunee and Trevs go running off just now? What’s the deal?”

 

“We were supposed to meet here. Did something happen?” A loud and sudden “Eeek!” caught us all off guard, and we turned to see Shauna dashing back down the stairs, with fear in her eyes.

 

“Please, stop! I hate being chased!”

 

“Stop right there, you little brat! I’ll get you!” A Team Flare grunt had been the cause for Shauna’s fear and was still chasing her off, even from the outskirts of town. "What was that, and why were they chasing after Shaunee so aggressively? W-well, I’m gonna go help her!" Tierno turned around to add another person to the ensuing chase scene between the Team Flare grunt and Shauna.

 

"That’s Team Flare, alright, which means there must be something going on inside. Let's check it out, while the guard's gone!" Calem’s muscles tightened visibly as I agreed with him, and we began our plan of storming through the factory.

 

Right when I stepped inside, I could see a pair of eyes under a red visor roll with bitterness. “Ugh. That idiot that Celosia left in charge of the doors can’t even handle guarding duty!” Upon noticing me, she walked up with a confident swagger, which she was trying and failing to hide. “So sorry, but the Pokéball Factory isn’t offering tours right now.” I looked around, taking a deep breath. From the looks of it, there sure were a lot of scarlet suits in control of this place. Right on time, however, Calem came behind me.

"That red suit means you're a member of Team Flare, right? Did you have a part-time job at the Poké Ball Factory to pay for that ugly thing?" The grunt didn’t hesitate to bare her teeth in response to Calem’s insult, while I couldn’t help but let out a slight chuckle.

 

“How dare you mock Team Flare! Mightyena, let’s make them pay!”

 

"Leave this one to me, neighbor! You go ahead!" Doing as Calem said, it didn’t take long for the battles against Team Flare grunts to stack up as I journeyed through the factory, riding the conveyor belt along the way. Along the way, I did happen to meet with some factory workers who were willing to heal my Pokémon, which meant I could keep moving along with my quest of taking back the factory without leaving, which was good. (It would’ve been even better if Team Flare had never existed in the first place, but I digress.) After I changed the direction of the conveyer belt, it took me to the room that an admin and two of the scientists had been using as a secret base of sorts, where they were trying to convince the boss of the factory to join their side.

 

One of the scientists, the one with distinctive purple hair, was yelling at him as he was slightly cowering behind his desk; Not that I could blame him.“Come now, work for Team Flare! If you’d just help out, we wouldn’t have to carry all of these Pokéballs by ourselves. Or, perhaps, with a small fee of 5,000,000 dollars, you could become a member of Team Flare yourself. It’s a no-brainer!”

 

I watched on as the man gathered the courage to speak up for himself. “What in the world are you fools in Team Flare thinking?! I’ll never forgive, let alone join, any group that tries to take the Kalos region’s entire Poké Ball supply for themselves!”

 

“Forget it. I’m not going to waste any more of my time on you.” She turned towards the door, blowing my silent cover. “Well, what do we have here? An intruder? Guess I’ll have to extinguish your little glimmer of hope, Mr. Company President.

 

Even though it was an admin, the only thing that battle proved was that you didn’t have to have much experience as an admin of Team Flare. Feeling threatened, the next battle was supposed to be a two-on one against the two scientists that were threatening the president, but Calem came to my side. "I think your math is off, we’re going to be evenly matched. And I thought you were supposed to be scientists! Are you ready to fight alongside me, neighbor?" With Calem by my side, the simplicity of the battles against Team Flare was only made more apparent.

 

The team of two scientists and an admin ran off and cleared the place, with the company president giving both me and Calem a Master Ball and a Big Nugget as thanks. _I really don’t deserve these. They're worth so much, much more than I’ll ever be._

 

As I found my way back to the entrance through trial-and-error, the other three came at the entrance. “Hey, do you think it’s okay for us to take a look around now?”

 

“I don’t think that’s the best idea, Shauna. Team Flare’s messed everything up, and the factory still needs to recover for all that lost time.” Calem admitted as he stepped off a nearby platform.

 

“Team Flare? Hmm...That name does sound familiar. Are those the people with those bright red suits?”

 

“Those are the ones, Shauna. Team Flare...What could they be after?”

 

“Well, now that our problems all fixed, we should probably head for Dendemille Town next, ‘cause that’s the next stop on the map!” Tierno smiled as we all went our separate ways for another while.


	14. Dendemille Town

If Dendemille Town meant anything to me, it was the last place of calm before the storm.


	15. Anistar City

Anistar was like Twinleaf Town, at first, with a gentle snow shower falling across the city, and reminding me of home. It was almost like it was going to be a regular routine, with me partaking in a promised battle against Calem. "Madison! I can't keep losing to someone who started the journey at the same time as me! Let's battle!" After I had won, we shook hands as he offered to heal my team.

 

"I just don’t get it. Why am I still playing catch-up to you?! My Pokémon are a lot stronger now, but you and your Pokémon are still just a little bit out of our reach. You're strong. I knew there would be lots of tough Trainers out in the world, but I wouldn't have guessed that my neighbor would turn out to be the one to beat! Well, just keep doing what you're doing and defeat that Gym Leader. "

 

With my freshly-healed team, I went inside the nearby building to take on the gym. But something felt different: I was scared. I didn’t know why, but I could feel my legs trembling I walked across the neon maze and attempted to find the gym leader. I don’t know why most of the leaders in Kalos liked mazes so much, but I wasn’t one to judge, as I was satisfied when I finally did reach her. "A ritual to decide your fate and future. The battle begins!"

 

My mind was cloudy. All I could focus on was fear, it was as if though I had locked eyes with a wild Absol. Still, I won’t blame that on my many failed attempts against the gym leader. Maybe I just wasn’t as skilled as Calem thought I was, maybe I had let his praise -which I didn’t deserve- get my hopes up. Finally, the clouds of fear went away, and I had been freed to think of a winning battle strategy. "Now, the Psychic Badge. A testament to your skill. Proof of your power. The Calm Mind TM. Power that grants life awakens--voices of woe. That is your future. Back from whence you came. You can be transported there."

 

Suddenly, the overwhelming fear from before came flooding back into me. _What did she mean? Why is that my destiny?_

 

"I'm sure getting the Psychic Badge wasn't too hard for you to get, right Madison?” I wanted to scream at him. We could be in danger, but he wasn’t doing anything about it. Why wasn’t he doing anything, how wasn’t he scared?

 

“Ready for a rematch? I think it would be fun to compete with my neighbor to be the best in Kalos. But I can't claim to be competing with you until I beat you at least once!" Our Holocasters rang at the same time with a message from Lysandre.

  


"Pokémon Trainers, I come to you by the Holo Caster to make an important announcement. Listen well; Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't in our group, and return the world to a beautiful, natural state. Unproductive fools are consuming our future... If nothing changes, the world will become ugly and conflicts will raze the land from end to end. I repeat: We will use the ultimate weapon and wipe the slate clean. I'm sorry, those of you who are not members of Team Flare, but this is adieu to you all."

 

"What... was Lysandre saying? Wiping the slate clean? Eliminating everyone but Team Flare?! Madison! Let's split up and look for Team Flare's base! Where could Lysandre be, though... We first met him in Lumiose City... Maybe he's there? I’ll try to get into Geosenge, there were a lot of them there too..."

 


	16. Lumiose City, Part 3

The first place my mind jumped to was Lysandre Café, with a swarm of scarlet suits standing around the entrance. Somehow, in all the times where I had been convinced that Team Flare’s goal was beauty in elegance, the password to their hidden door was “open sesame.”

 

I went in the cold, dark, laboratory, only to be greeted by Lysandre. "Welcome. This world will eventually reach the point of no return... Saving the lives of all is impossible. Only the chosen ones will obtain a ticket to tomorrow. Do you want to have a ticket? Or, do you want to stop me? Show me in battle."

 

I defeated him with clenched fists, and with a feeling that would usually send me into a panic only adding fuel to my fire. _This wasn’t going to be just a battle with Team Flare. This was war._

 

"Excellent! I can feel the fire of your convictions burning deep within your heart! Wah ha ha! Your convictions and those of your Pokémon please me! You are here to stop me. But I ask you to wait. I tried to save people--and the world--with the profit from this lab. But my efforts had no effect... The world was just too vast...and too full of fools that I couldn't save through my hard work alone... That's why I decided the only way to save the world was to take it all for myself. I don't expect that I will ever make you understand how I think and feel... Try to stop the ultimate weapon if you must, but to do so, you will have to explore our lab and have Pokémon battles with all you meet. Oh, and as for the Elevator Key, one of the Team Flare Scientists you've met on your journey has it. Saving everything... The world is suffering because of this absurd dream."

 

I rush through the lab with the stealth of a soldier, encountering rooms upon rooms filled with on-duty scarlet suits. Though I am a one man army with me and my team of five Pokémon, I keep my head held high remembering that Calem is waiting for me in Geosenge. _That, and I was now in charge of protecting the lives of the innocent civilians of Kalos. The light of Kalos will not fade, I will not-no, can not- let it._

* * *

 

I let out a sigh of slight relief upon reaching the second floor. There was no one up here except me, Lysandre, and the tall man I had encountered on my travels before. “Listen, one who will face Lysandre. I will tell you the legend behind the ultimate weapon. A terribly long time ago, There was a man and a Pokémon. He loved that Pokémon very much. A war began. The man's beloved Pokémon took part in the war. Several years passed until he was given a tiny box, it holding his deceased Pokémon. The man wanted to bring the Pokémon back. No matter what it took. The man built a machine to give it life. He brought his beloved Pokémon back. Still, the man had suffered too much. His rage had not subsided. He could not forgive the world that had hurt the Pokémon he loved. He turned the machine into the ultimate weapon. The man became a bringer of destruction that ended the war. The Pokémon that was given life must have known that the lives of many Pokémon were taken to restore its own. The resurrected Pokémon left the man, and he has never seen it since."

  
After finishing his story, AZ spoke once more. “Please, you need to get the key back. It should not be used. Everything will vanish again. Do you want to know unending pain…like I have?"

 

Lysandre smirked." Madison, that is AZ. He has the same name as a king that lived 3,000 years ago. And for some unknown reason, he had the key to the ultimate weapon hung around his neck. It's finally time. Come now, follow me to my chambers."

* * *

 

In said chambers, he was standing and talking with a sickly pale man, who appeared to be another one of his scientists. "So, Lysandre, the Poké Balls we received and the Pokémon we've gathered are where they need to be. Add it all up, and it means all preparations are complete!"

 

"The only thing left to do is put the plan in motion. I'm counting on you, Xerosic."

 

_Should I make myself known or stay hidden? I’m not going to leave here without a fight either way._

  
Lysandre noticed me, a prideful but evil smile gracing his face as he walked near me, trying to intimidate me one more time, though I could feel the fire burning through his aura. "One push of a button and we can activate the ultimate weapon from this room. I believe being a chosen one means you have the potential to change the future! Whether we activate the ultimate weapon or leave it safely underground will rest upon if you actually have this potential or not." He left with a slight chuckle, leaving Xerosic to do as he pleased.

 

"Oh ho ho! You're the one I've heard so much about! I've been waiting for you because I need to do a little research! Come, let us begin!" Xerosic’s team was more diverse than the grunts or any of the other scientists. Still, using on-the-spot strategy, I defeated him. "Oh ho ho! You're wonderful! Amazing! You have tremendous skill and bravery! When you add that up, it means I will tell you something very interesting. It happened 3,000 years ago. The ultimate weapon was used to put an end to the war in an instant. If we use that incredible power for ourselves, we can finally free Kalos of the foolish humans that plague it! Behind me, you'll find a red button and a blue button. One of them is the button for activating the ultimate weapon. Push one now! Come on! Push one!"

 

_This is a decision that could literally mean life or death for what may well be millions of people. Still, there’s not much time to think it over…_

* * *

 

Crossing my fingers, I eventually made up my mind to press the bright blue button. "You pressed it! Oh ho ho! You pressed the blue button! Winner, winner! Congratulations! But I'm still going to activate the ultimate weapon! I know the boss promised that we wouldn't if you pushed the correct button, but I refuse to let the potential go to waste! I'll just use my remote here! And the power is ON! Now, look! Look at the monitor!”

 

The giant crystal flower bloomed from the ground, balancing a bright blue ball of energy at its center, while the crystal itself was destroying buildings and bringing a giant cloud of dust in its wake.

 

* * *

 

"Did you see? The ultimate weapon is reborn! The poisonous flower has bloomed! All shall perish! Except for Team Flare! Look at Geosenge! It has bloomed in Geosenge Town! The boss's dream of creating a beautiful world will come true! Add it all up, and it equals... a victory for our SCIENCE!"

 

_Geosenge...That’s where Calem is waiting._

 


	17. Geosenge Town, Part 2

I took a moment to stare at the weapon, and one more to heal my team from the raid in Lumiose. _So this was what they were after. I also dream of a more beautiful world, but not like this...never like this._ Scarlet suits were guarding all exits and entrances to the town, whole rows of them, in fact.

 

_Good Lord, these citizens must be terrified._

 

The dead end on the outskirts of town only had one scarlet suit, who was standing away from the end of the path and challenged me to a battle the moment I tried to walk any further. All of the grunt battles ended up like this. The thing that mattered right then was being reunited with Calem. As the grunt leaves, I walk to the end of the path, where an elevator is waiting. "Madison, you're not going into this alone! The masked heroes from the power plant incident told me what Team Flare plans to do with the ultimate weapon! C'mon! Let's stop Team Flare...No...We have to stop Lysandre himself! I want to protect my friends!”

* * *

 

I entered the elevator myself, Calem promising to meet me down there right away. As the elevator locks down to the secret base, many scarlet suits are pacing the room, supposedly checking on their plot. Lysandre is closest to the window, staring down at the large white tree at the center of the room below. As I stared at him, Calem caught up with me silently, aware of the danger in our situation.

 

Lysandre doesn’t bother to turn around before speaking. "The ultimate weapon's flower has finally bloomed above the soil. Don't you find its beauty captivating? As we speak, it draws its energy from the Legendary Pokémon. Madison! I apologize that the weapon was unearthed even after you chose correctly in the lab. But conflicting egos drive this world--things don't always go the way you want!"

 

"We won't let you use that-that thing!" Calem growled, which Lysandre’s attention to us.

 

"Even though resources, space, and energy on this planet are limited, the number of people and Pokémon has increased to an unsustainable level. Whether it's money or the energy of a Legendary Pokémon, the ones who steal are the ones who win in this world."

 

"So what? That doesn't give you the right to destroy everyone except the few that Team Flare chooses!" Calem looked like he was on the verge of outright attacking Lysandre until I silently gripped his hand.

 

“Stay calm. We can do the fighting later.”

 

"So, tell me then, boy. The Mega Ring, did you share it?"

 

"That's different! We did compete to see who got it, but..."

 

"When there is only one of something, it can't be shared. When something can't be shared, it will be fought over. And when something is fought over, some must survive without it. The only way to create a world where people live in beauty, a world without conflict or theft, is to reduce the number of living things."

 

“I know about your despicable hatred of humans, sir, but what are you going to do about the Pokémon?”

 

Lysandre paused for a brief moment before he closed his eyes and spoke, a few silent tears falling from his eyes.

 

"Why... are you crying?" Calem fell to near silence for a moment, and the buzzing and beeping around the room stopped accordingly.

 

"Pokémon... Shall no longer exist. Pokémon are wonderful beings. Humans have worked with Pokémon, and we have helped each other flourish. But precisely because of that, they will inevitably become tools for war and theft! Enough of this talk. You want to stop the ultimate weapon, and I refuse to do so. In exchange, I will keep you busy for just a moment. Madison, you and I are going to battle."'

 

I took a brief look at Calem before sending out my Sylveon, realizing how bleak and hopeless even the scenery surrounding us looks. “It’s alright, Madison! I’m sure you have the strength to defeat Lysandre! The strength to protect everybody’s tomorrows!” As cheesy as it sounded, his words were what my Pokémon and I needed to power through Lysandre’s team.

 

"The strength to protect, huh? But what are you really protecting? A tomorrow that will only end up being worse than today? I must admit, Madison, that you're as strong as ever. But still, It's too late, there's no hope for you now! Go down to the lowest floor, and see for yourself!"

 

"It's not over until it's over! Princess! Let's go look for the Legendary Pokémon! Trainers are protected by Pokémon, but good trainers protect their Pokémon, too, right? Look! That's the entrance to the lower floors over there!" Let's hurry!"

* * *

 

Hand in hand, Calem and I ran down the thin white staircases, encountering an admin and a grunt at the end. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you to turn back.” The admin spoke. “The legendary Pokémon, Xerneas, is at the end of this very chamber, after all.”

 

“Sir!” The grunt snapped back at his boss, “Why on earth would you tell them that?! Why would you ever do something so stupid!?” We all immediately got ready for battle. Realizing that it was the two of us together, I smiled a little. _I’m safe, as long as I know my friends have my back._ More members of Team Flare battled our duo every other step we took, or at least that’s what it felt like. Needless to say, after being a duo for what felt like so long, we were surprised when Shauna had made her way down to the secret lab as well.

 

"Princess! Calem! Wait up!"

 

"Shauna?! What are you doing here? You should really go back up, it’s dangerous and there are a lot of Team Flare guys here and-"

"I'm sorry… I know… I'm just going to slow you down."  


I turned to Calem with a small scowl. “Let her stay, Calem. We’re outnumbered by who knows how many members, we need all the help we can get.”

 

"Friends should stick together!"

 

Calem paused briefly before sighing and admitting his mistake. "I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking clearly, and I didn't consider your feelings. Thank you for coming. Friends should stick together. Princess, we'll all stick together, right?"

 

“Like I said. We need as much help as we can get if we’re going to have a chance at winning this war.”

 

“OK!-Wait, war?”

 

“Yes, this is a war. Do either of you realize the cost if we fail here, even once? Most of the world’s life, our lives, and possibly the life of the legendary Pokémon if they’ve taken enough out of it.”

With my words in mind, all of us rushed downstairs, facing off against whatever random grunts and admins we hadn’t defeated yet, rushing past them silently as possible. We thought we were making great progress until we came to an electronically locked door. “An electronic lock, that’s just great. What do we do now?”

 

“Hang on, I have something that might help!” Shauna raced towards the door, sticking a small device in one of the holes on the lock. After a small amount of beeping and buzzing, the lock and device both broke, falling to the ground with a clunk. "Ta da! The lock opened! Oh! But the device broke, too."

 

I gave her a smile and a thumbs up, with Calem probably smiling even wider than I was. “Not bad, Shauna! Well, Clemont was the one who made it. But still, you brought it here! So, I guess both of you are pretty great! We're finally here. The Legendary Pokémon must be right through this door. Everyone, let's save it together!"

* * *

 

As we all pushed through the door, a sudden weight fell across my chest. It was dark and hard to breathe. The only thing that I could see was the large, white tree on the glowing platform in front of us.

 

“Hey Calem, Princess, do you guys think that the tree might be the legendary Pokémon? It doesn’t look like it’s alive, though.”

 

Suddenly, a swarm of admins and grunts ambushed us. “That’s none of your business! The legendary Pokémon is ours now! We’ll take you out, just to make sure that nothing goes wrong.”

 

Shauna looked at me, motioning that she had come up with a plan. Waving her arms around wildly, she made a quick dash for the exit, yelling in the least convincing way possible. “ Please, stop! I hate being chased!” Two of the admins walked after her, so it worked somewhat, still, less than I had hoped.

 

"Oh god, it's the Poké Ball Factory all over again. Madison! You take care of things here! I'll protect Shauna!" _Yep. Shauna’s plan had definitely worked less than I had hoped._ Here I was, four on one. The outcome would either be them or the rest of the world. Still, my team and I fought on through the human barricade; This was a war, and Kalos was destined to win it.

* * *

 

“Contact Lysandre! We need reinforcements right away!” The squad of Team Flare employees rushed out the door, leaving me alone with the sleeping -was it sleeping?- legendary Pokémon. I was only allowed silence for a moment before I heard its cry as it struggled to break free from its dead form.

 

I stepped back in awe as the shell around it broke with blue lights glowing from inside. As the energy was returned to it, Xerneas was able to break free of the contraption that was holding it in place, causing it to reach down to my level. “Amazing,” I said flatly. “You must be the legendary Pokémon of life, Xerneas.” It stood in silence, hoisting its head high. Somehow, I knew that it wanted me to capture it. So, using my Master Ball, I instantly agreed to let it join my team. (I’m not going to lie, this was also me being too afraid to test the power of a legendary Pokémon who’s capable of controlling life.)

 

Shauna and Calem must’ve heard the commotion, as they both walked back inside just in time. “Great work, Princess! Now they can't use the ultimate weapon."

 

“You’re amazing, Princess! A legendary Pokémon wanting to be your friend like that is unbelievable!”

* * *

 

We then heard Lysandre’s voice, but couldn’t see his face.  "What a startling development! I never would've thought you were really a chosen one!" He stepped around the machine, revealing the contraption he was wearing on his eyes. "So THIS is the mighty Xerneas?! I expected more from a Pokémon called a legend! You desire help from people? YOU need help from a human?"

 

“Wow, Lysandre! For a person who wants to make the world beautiful again, that sure is an ugly pair of glasses!” Shauna giggled as if she didn’t know what she had just said.

 

“Shauna, please stop! You’re going to make him upset!”

 

“What are you doing here, anyway? Princess already beat you!”

  
"For me, victory is using the ultimate weapon. In order to do that, I need to reclaim the Legendary Pokémon's power and send it to the ultimate weapon once again. I'll be taking the Legendary Pokémon back now! This time, I won't lose. I, too, shall use a Mega Ring and Mega Stone, like the ones that you researched during your travels."

 

_One more battle. One more and the war will be over. Shauna, Calem….Everyone. I know you can’t hear me when I’m thinking, but lend me the strength to protect everybody’s tomorrow!”_

* * *

 

Trying my best to fend for myself, seeing through Lysandre’s blindingly bright aura, one Pokémon at a time, we were able to make it. His Mega Gyarados, fittingly enough, was taken down using Xerneas’ assistance. "It's over... Fools with no vision will continue to befoul this beautiful world. They will go on until the only thing left to do is squabble over the remaining scraps of hope..."  


He let out a yell in defeat, crashing to the floor.

* * *

 

"Um… Mr. Lysandre, d’you know what I think? Even if there's only a little bit of something, it's still best to share it. Even you managed to use Mega Evolution… That's because Gyarados shared its power with you, didn't it? And not just Gyarados, but your other Pokémon, too…"

It was just like Shauna to remain optimistic about giving people second chances.

 

"The Legendary Pokémon is gone, so you can't use the ultimate weapon anymore, right? You don't have to worry about the future all alone... Shouldn't everyone work together to make a beautiful world?" Calem’s eyes lit up as he found himself in agreement with Shauna.

 

"Foolish children! If that were possible, all wars would have ended long ago! I can only see one future! One where selfish, foolish humans think about nothing other than themselves and steal more and more from one another... It's a tragic future! The original purpose of this device was to bring a Pokémon back to life. But the ancient king transformed it into this ultimate weapon.

 

Hmm. When the Legendary Pokémon awakened, it took back much of the energy that had been sent to the ultimate weapon. There's not much power left... But there IS enough to use it once..."  
"Madison, Sycamore's pupils, let us live forever... That's right! I shall grant you eternal life! I'll give you the pain of endlessly waiting for a beautiful world to finally be built!”

 

"Madison! Shauna! Let's get out of here!" We ran as fast as our tired legs could carry us.

* * *

 

Though we weren’t able to escape the effects of the blast in time, we did escape the new crater that was in the middle of the town. _They didn’t though. You should feel blessed by your luck, you unworthy fool._

* * *

 

Doing a quick headcount, Sina and Dexio appeared in the middle of our small crowd. “1, 2, 3...Alright, looks like everyone made it out okay, Sina.”

  
"Phew...I'm so glad you're all safe! I really respect the courage and kindness all of you showed."

 

"Thank you... We all go out in one piece. Are you guys all OK, Tierno?"  


"Yep! As you can see, we're doing great! Thanks for asking! We worked together to save the Pokémon connected to the stones on Route 10! I mostly left battling with Team Flare to Sina and Dexio, though..." _Right then was one of those times where I couldn’t help but admire Tierno’s ability to constantly be laid back, even through his guilt for not fighting Team Flare more._

 

“Hey, who are these Sina and Dexio you speak of? We are the masked heroes!” Dexio gripped Sina’s hand as she faked annoyance.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Tierno. Everybody here did whatever they could to stop Team Flare’s plans from becoming reality. On to other things, we have a bit of news for you all. We managed to destroy the machine in Lysandre’s lab, the one that was spying on people’s Holo Caster transmissions. So, we won’t have to worry about Team Flare anymore.”

 

“Great! Now I can go back to filling up my Pokédex!” Said Pokédex opened up where Trevor had left off, reminding him of what he needed to do next.

 

“So, it’s all over, right? We can go back to our adventures now, right? Let’s go back to Anistar City and over from where we left off! It’ll be just like it was before!”

 

_I’m afraid that’s impossible for fools like me, Shauna. You don’t exactly restart your travels knowing that you just buried hundreds of living people underground for all of eternity._

 

As everyone else left, Calem turned around to face me, having been reminded of something. "Thanks, Princess. I respect you a lot. That's why I want to beat you in a battle as you rival!" As he skated off, I whispered, which he must’ve heard with the lack of noise in the town.

 

“Wait, Calem…”

 

“Yes, Princess?”

 

“Would you mind walking with me back to Anistar? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I don’t feel like being alone right now…”

 

I held back tears as he silently held my hand. "You'll never have to be alone. We won this war together, after all."


	18. A Sycamore's Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a chapter based off of what the Professor was thinking while waiting in Couriway.

When you yourself arrived in quiet little Couriway Town, you gave yourself time to think. Think about your life, those students who you considered to be the closest thing to having your own children (God, one of them actually _was_ your child), and what your life had done to those students of yours. Especially three of them in particular, who would forever remain children, and all because you had somehow found yourself trusting in some genocidal maniac. 

You and those kids were all like a family; In the beginning, Shauna was considered the baby of the family, energetic, always happy, and loved by all. Trevor and Tierno were the middle children, always confiding in each other, but loved by everyone else nonetheless. There was Calem, who was definitely the oldest, always protecting and teaching his "siblings." Somehow, you thought Madison had always belonged in a category by herself, though you couldn't quite pinpoint if that was due to the fact that she was your own or the fact that she seemed to be on another wavelength compared to the others.

Now, you weren't quite sure who was who anymore. Madison had been struggling with panic attacks ever since the Pokéball Factory incident, which had led to her decline in battling. Tierno had been stepping up to the plate, always offering help to her when he was a Holo Caster call away from her. Shauna had matured a lot too, as you had noticed. One thing, however, was for sure;

If this made you the father of the group, then you were an awful father.  _Yes, especially to her._ Fathers were supposed to protect their children, but you had let yours go out on the front lines and risk her life to save the entire region.  _Forget about your burden, think of hers._

You always did have such high hopes for that darling daughter of yours, ever since you first laid eyes on her newborn, sleeping form. But what were those hopes even for? You had left her alone, by choice, to be raised in a tiny cottage by a single-mother in a five-house village in the region that was always referred to as "the middle of nowhere" by everyone else. And for what? For her to come home only to be cursed with never being able to fall in love properly, never have a family of her own, probably never to have a well-paying job, needing to be taken care of by her mother and father- _Oh god, what would she do when they died?_ And all this experienced with her emotions, mind, and body all never aging past the age of a 6th grader?

He took a deep breath, roping himself back into reality.  _Alright. You can drop all of your regrets if you promise yourself this._

_You, Augustine Sycamore, are going to be the most protective, doting father that girl could want._

Speaking of her, there she came, tumbling down with illness through the stone arch of the town. Of course, it would've made you feel a lot better if she hadn't been in the middle of an uncontrollable coughing fit, but at least she was fine.

And for you to sleep at night, that would be enough.


	19. Couriway Town

I was only back in Anistar for a brief moment before my Holocaster rang with a message. The camera was off, but from the voice, I could tell it was the professor. “Hey Madison, do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you face-to-face. Let’s meet in Couriway Town, okay?” He said nothing more of the meeting, but I knew that Couriway was south of here somewhere.

 

Crossing into the stone pillars that marked the entrance to the town, my body couldn’t fight the urge to let out a loud, sickly cough, causing the professor to notice me. _Guess that’s what I guess for being exposed to Legendary Pokémon radiation._

 

"Hello, Madison. I see you’re still recovering.”

 

“Yeah, most of it’s my fault, though. I was the one who skipped out on the hospital.”

 

The professor walked over to me, placing a hand on my shivering shoulder. “You really shouldn't do that, sweetheart. I mean, I’m worried about your health and whatever he did to you and- I never should've gotten you into this mess anyway. I have to apologize to you about Lysandre... I'm very sorry for the trouble he caused. But I'd also like to thank you! I'm sincerely grateful for what you did for all of the Pokémon and people of this world. And by stopping Team Flare, you also saved Lysandre. I always knew that he desired a beautiful world… but still, I never expected him to go that far for his vision."

  
"And maybe someday the population of people and Pokémon will actually increase to where resources become very scarce. If someone acts out of greed in such a world, surely some will go without. If all living things keep acting that way, there will be nothing left at all in the end. Why, there won't even be anything left to steal, will there? But what I really wanted was for him to put his ego aside and lead everything to greater heights. I never had this discussion with him, though. So I'm partially responsible for this."

 

I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn’t because that would be lying. _Lysandre had been his student, and the professor probably knew what was going on, at least with him leading Team Flare and all, right?_

 

The professor sighed with his head down, whispering a faint “I know, I don’t deserve you, Madison.”

 

“I know. You deserve better.”  We were now standing across the way from each other, both unable to follow up to her comment until the professor suggested a rematch.

 

“Well, I’ll be off now, Madison. I have a small surprise planned for you all as thanks for stopping Team Flare!”

 

 Though my heart was still healing, I couldn't help but wonder... maybe everything would turn out right in the end after all.


	20. Snowbelle City

_Lost._ If I and my current situation could be described with one adjective, _lost_ would be that word.

 

Of course, it hadn’t been my idea to even dare and try to reach the meadow at the end of these Winding Woods anyway, but the gym leader was out caring for some Pokémon, and she was an unknown league challenger who desperately wanted to get her hands on that last badge she needed. Put two and two together, and she found herself in this forest.

 

Asking for directions wasn’t much of a help either, as it seemed like everyone else in this forest wanted nothing more than to battle me, then lurk around and wait for the next poor soul who dared enter this forest. It was rather creepy when I thought of it that way, but anything to keep my mind from busting on the thought of being lost _-_

 

My Sylveon had burst out of his Great Ball and instantaneously wrapped one of his ribbons around my wrist, miraculously sensing the oncoming attack and sending a pulse of calm through me, turning my thoughts around, as if though my Sylveon himself were trying to speak with me. _Everything is going to be fine, and you’ll be finding that Gym Leader before you know it._

 

“Thanks, Sylv. I needed that. Mind walking with me through the rest of this mess?” Sylveon let out a happy cry, looking happy enough to comply with my wish as we crept through what seemed like miles of remaining forest. When I saw the sunlight shining in through the trees, more relief washed over my mind. _See? Everything turned out fine in the end, no need to worry._

 

A tall yet stout man was turned around and caring for a pair of Furfrou, who ran off when they noticed my presence. He definitely reminded me of Professor Rowan, both of the men being so intimidating that all I could do around them was get as quiet as a Whismur.  “Hello… Um, do you happen to be Gym Leader Wulfric?”

 

“Oh! I’m sorry! I’m supposed to be back at the gym, but sometimes I just get so worried about the Pokémon here that I can’t resist the urge to come over and check on everyone. Are you a challenger?”

 

“Y-yes sir.”

 

"I thought so. Sorry to inconvenience you like this. As an apology, I’ll walk you back to the gym, if you want me to.”

 

Accepting his offer, I soon found myself back in the forest. But this time, I wasn’t lost.

 

When we reached his gym, I only had to wait a few extra minutes to be let inside to challenge him. My plan for this gym was simple, if not embarrassingly childish; Have Solrock Flamethrower everything and heal it with your potions whenever the need arises. Surprisingly, it actually worked.

 

“Y'know what? Ice is both extremely hard and terribly fragile at the same time. You know what that means? Depending on which Pokémon you choose and what moves they use, I could be your most challenging opponent yet or I could be a total pushover. But that's all right. That's how it should be! Anyway, enough of my rambling! Let's get this show on the road!"

 

“Solrock, you know what to do.” That was all I had to say before Solrock took over the battle, with me being able to feel the heat of my Pokémon's flames on my skin.

 

"Outstanding! I'm tough as an iceberg, but you smashed me through and through! Your Pokémon fought with great courage. I can tell that you've trained your Pokémon well.

  
Let me give you this TM, too. Ice Beam move has an accuracy of 100 percent! Not only that, but every once in awhile it will freeze the target it hits, too! I hope you've learned a valuable lesson today. Being rigid can make you tough, but it will also render you fragile. You're better off being flexible. You know what I mean? Some people are fluid like water and can adapt to their environment without changing what's important on the inside. Not me, though, I guess I'm too stubborn. Maybe that's why I love Ice types."

 

I couldn’t help but grin as I filled in the last blank spot in my badge case before walking back to the exit, the gym leader watching as I started to leave. "You know what? You have all the Gym Badges now, so there's really only one thing left to do... It's time you headed off to the Pokémon League! Listen up, now, let me give you some sound advice: Trust in your Pokémon, and there's no limit to what you can achieve!"  


I couldn’t help but smile as I left Snowbelle City. For the first time in awhile, I felt determined. _I trust in my Pokémon. I’m going to become the Kalos champion!_


	21. Pokémon League

This is probably the part of the story where you’d expect me to say that using my strength and trusting in my Pokémon, I was able to turn the league on their heads immediately. Unfortunately for my pride, That could not be further from the truth.

 

6 months.

 

At least 40 attempts. (And those were just the ones that I bothered to count).

 

An ungodly number of Max Potions.

 

Those are some of the numbers surrounding my victory at the Kalos Pokémon League. So you can imagine that when I finally managed to open the door to the Radiant Chamber, that was a victory in itself.

 

Diantha's aura of refreshing moonlight was surrounding me, embracing me in its deepness. This was the place where it was at its most powerful, and having Lucario around only to magnify it made that suspicion stronger; _This could also be the place where you get an aura of your own._

 

I tried not to pass out from overwhelming emotion as Diantha stood in front of me. "Welcome at last, dear Madison. As you must know, I am the Champion, Diantha. It must sound odd of me to say this, but I’ve been seeing your ability in all of your battles with the Elite 4, and I can't wait to see what you and your Pokémon are capable now that I know exactly what it is you've done already!"

 

 _This_ was the match where I can say that through the powers of perseverance and trust I turned the league on its head. It was down to her Mega Gardevoir and my Sylveon. My chest started getting heavy, my heart racing a mile a minute. _These next moves could determine your entire future._ I could hear myself think. _Are you ready?_  “Sylveon, use Bite!”

 

“Gardevoir, use Shadow Ball!”

 

“Sylveon, Bite once more! Give it all you got!”

 

“Gardevoir is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger!”

 

For a split second, there was silence. We just stood, our eyes telling each other everything we needed to say. "Witnessing the noble spirits of you and your Pokémon in battle has really touched my heart… I-I'm so choked up that it's hard to know what I should say, but I...I... I'm just so glad at this moment that I was good enough to be the Champion... After all, it gave me the chance to meet and battle with you and your wonderful Pokémon! Now I understand just why dear Augustine--that's Professor Sycamore to you--said he had to get everything ready for the new Champion! He'll be waiting for us in Lumiose City, but before I take you there... My dearest Madison, would you mind coming this way with me?

 

Here we are! I'm so glad to welcome you in. This grand chamber is where you enter the Kalos region's Hall of Fame. This is where Pokémon Trainers will live on forever, remembered always for giving their all in battle to the Pokémon League and for the glory and light that they shared with all. Come, dear Madison… Your love for your Pokémon… And the way that those Pokémon gave everything they had in battle for you… We'll record them all right here for eternity."

 

“Thank you for the battle.”

 

“And thanks to you as well, champion. Now, let’s get going to Lumiose, shall we, Miss Champion?” I had to admit, hearing _her_ call _me_ that was a weird feeling; But it was also the best weird feeling I'd ever had.


	22. Lumiose City, Part 4

I stayed in Lumiose for about a week and a half, figuring that the six month wait was more than enough to all but completely finish with the professor’s preparations for his surprise. I was never bored, however; Mobs of reporters stationed at the Hotel Richissime’s front doors were a constant for that week, even leading up to some people getting on them for invading an 11 year old’s privacy. Still, it’s not like I hated it. For a girl who grew up surrounded with a whopping 9 other people all of her life, it was certainly a nice change of pace.

 

On the seventh day, which had marked exactly a week after I had taken the champion throne, the professor called, telling me to get down to South Boulevard as soon as possible.

 

As soon as I got there, I stopped wondering why he hadn’t been more specific. Everyone who had been involved at Geosenge was already lined up on stage, with them all smiling as they made eye contact with me, and I could hear Tierno's whispers from the ground. “Ooh, la la! Would you look at our guest of honor, lookin’ all fancy?”

 

Crowds of civilians from what looked to be all over the place were already lining the sidewalks, some of them even pouring into either side of the street, only separated by a long red velvet carpet, like the ones you’d find at movie premieres in Unova. “Surprise! Welcome to your very own parade!”

 

“Professor, I thought you said it was going to be a small surprise?”

 

“Oui! It’s the least I could do for you all as thanks for saving us all.”

 

I looked at him stunned. “ _This_ is the least you could do?! Goodness gracious, there are more people already here than in all of Sinnoh!” I could hear the professor quietly laughing at my amusement, my eyes going wide at the sheer amount of people in the crowd.

 

An hour and a half later, the festivities started, with the marching band, _the best marching band in all of Kalos_ , as I’d heard Tierno say, blasting the most upbeat, celebratory pieces they could play.

 

The Professor gave a short speech after the band had silenced. He was half turned towards, and half turned towards the crowd. "What an amazing turnout! All of these people are here to celebrate your achievements. I'd like to present each of our heroes with the region’s highest honor, the Honor of Kalos for the bravery you showed battling Team Flare! I'm so proud of you all! On behalf of the entire Kalos region, I'd like to say... Thank you!"

 

Of course, not everything worked out exactly as planned. Nobody expected an ancient king to crash my parade, but he did.

 

All he had said was “Battle with me.” Of course, the fight was much easier than you’d believe, with my full team of 6 going up against 3, but you’d still be fearful of an ancient immortal if he asked to battle you, right?

 

"Thank you very much for battling with me. Now I finally feel free from the part of me mired in sorrow--the part of me that built the ultimate weapon…"

 

A sudden glimmer of light caused up to both look up towards the sky, where a strange Floette was floating down towards him, causing him to fall to his knees and let tears of joy fall from his eyes. “Floette...it’s been 3000 years.”


	23. Home

The celebrations and festivities lasted long into the evening, with several swarms of people gathering around me to meet the newest champion. As the moon was just rising into the sky, the professor and Diantha pulled me aside, taking me into his laboratory. "Can we talk to you about something real quick?" They'd said. 

"Madison...did Johanna ever tell you what happened to your father?"

"Yeah, once. I think she'd said he'd just started working as a professor somewhere far away from Sinnoh, or something like that. I mean, I've never heard from him personally, I mean, I've always wanted too, but Mom always said he was too busy. Why? Do you know my dad?" He paused the conversation, taking a deep breath to relax before he started up again when I noticed a sympathetic expression had overcome him."I've been working here so that I could provide a better life for you. I'm sorry for leaving you in a place like Twinleaf, but I hope you understand. I know you're probably upset with me, Madison."

He paused the conversation, taking a deep breath to relax before he started up again when I noticed a sympathetic expression had overcome him."Madison, I am your dad. I got the professor position about a month after you were born, and I've been working here so that I could provide a better life for you. I'm sorry for leaving you in a place like Twinleaf, but I hope you can understand my reasoning now. I know you're probably upset with me, Madison."

"I'm- I mean, I don't really know how to describe how I'm feeling. I want to be upset, but I can't because you've done so much for me." I looked around, smiling at both of them, and the professor smiled back. 

Diantha looked at me, her eyes lighting up slightly knowing I wasn't mad at the professor. "And about your mother...that would be me. I needed to make sure I was in a comfortable position with my acting career so we had enough money to take care of you when you were able to come home, darling. I'm sorry, Madison."

"That's fine, both of you! I mean, I mean, I've always wanted to know my father and to find out that I had a different mother, it's just...wow."

"Also, I've gotten the okay from Professor Rowan. He says that it's fine for you to stay in Kalos for as long as you'd like."

"That's great! But still, since I'm not on a homestay anymore, where am I going to live?"

"You'll be staying here. There's an extra room right upstairs, we already had it decorated with all your other stuff as soon as we knew you were going to stay...I mean, if you want to stay in Kalos, that is."

"Of course I'll stay! But still, you've done so much for me, I don't know how I can ever repay you..."

"Repay us? Love, as long as we can all be a family again, that would be enough."

 

Kalosian mornings were so bright and full of life; That was the first thing I'd learned upon my arrival to this foreign region. But it was then I'd learned that Kalosian nights are just as wonderful.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to all of you who read this terribly written story about a journey through Kalos! I love you so much! Special thanks to those of you who gave me kudos, it means the world to me! (Even though it was probably an accident) More stories are coming soon!


End file.
